The much-awaited meeting between the IPL franchise owners and the BCCI is going to take place on July 31. Though the venue has not been revealed, it is expected that the meeting will be hosted at the BCCI headquarters in the Wankhede Stadium complex in Mumbai.

Cricbuzz confirmed the meeting date was confirmed by IPL CEO Hemang Amin via text messages to the IPL franchise owners on July 25, 2024. Amin also told the owners that that a formal invite, confirming the venue and timing, would follow.

Amin is believed to have stated that the meeting will take place in the late afternoon or evening on July 31. It is thought that all of the owners have confirmed their availability for the meeting.  

The retentions and number of Right-to-Match (RTM) cards will be determined before the IPL 2025 super auction. The auction purse amount will also be discussed at the meeting.

The number of players retained ranged from none to eight, as determined by individual franchise owners. However, several teams have advised BCCI to reduce retentions and instead distribute more RTM cards in the big auction. 

There will also be a discussion about the salary cap, which is likely to be approximately INR 120 crore in the first year of the following three-year cycle. Subsequently, the retention value of each player might be discussed. Previously, the salary of the top retainer was approximately 16-17 percent of the wage ceiling.

Meanwhile, the exact number of player retentions per team is still speculative, the number will likely be relatively low. The BCCI is expected to settle on an average number, possibly five or six.

The justification for limiting retentions is that a bigger number may reduce the enthusiasm for the auction. If each club retained up to eight players, the best 80 players from around the world, including India, would be excluded from the auction, making the entire process a disappointment.

(Cricbuzz report)